Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011

Challengers heading to Pop Warner Super Bowl

Victoria Dren doesn't look like a football powerhouse, but she is known as her Challenger team's secret weapon.

"We call her 'the flash,' " said her mom, Carolyn Dren.

Victoria, 8, is tiny, with long blond hair and expressive gray eyes. On a recent evening, she sat in a local McDonald's munching on chicken nuggets and talking football.

"Isn't that cool?" Victoria said about an exhibition game the Challengers will play during the Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships at the ESPN Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Dec. 8.

The Challenger League is part of the Consolidated Football Federation of the Triangle and the Pop Warner Little Scholars football program. Formed three years ago, the Challenger League offers kids with special needs a chance to play football and cheer.

Victoria, a student at Ballentine Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina, originally joined the Challengers as a cheerleader.

"That lasted about 10 minutes," her mom said.

"I changed my mind," Victoria chimed in. "Football looked like fun."

The Challengers play flag football. Players take turns as quarterback, handing the ball off to a running back who tries to score before defenders snatch a flag from the runner's waist, where it is attached by Velcroto a belt.

"Victoria is our secret weapon because she is so fast, and so small, it is almost impossible for anyone to grab her flag," said Sally McCormick, Challenger spokeswoman.

"I like football because I get to run with the ball and run fast," Victoria said. "I outrun (other players) and they can't get my flag. Sometimes I score two touchdowns."

Aaron LaValle, who is 15 and a student at Fuquay-Varina Middle School, also loves hearing cheers and scoring touchdowns.

"My favorite part of football is scoring," he said.

Before Aaron and Victoria learned to love scoring points, they had to learn how to make a touchdown.

"When Victoria first started, she thought she was playing tag, so she would run around and try to avoid being tagged," her dad, Mike, said. "It took a few games to get her all the way into the end zone."

Aaron is proud of learning which way to run both in offense and defense.

"One direction scores," he said. "When I run the opposite way, I try to get a flag."

Joshua Roussell, 13, doesn't like to run, but the husky kid can block like he was born to be an offensive lineman.

"Not too many players think they can get past him on the field, so they go around him," said his mother, Gina Roussell.

Joshua, a student at Durant Road Middle School, is a charter member of the Challenger League.

"The Challenger program is a dream come true," Gina Roussell said. "It allows kids to do things that most kids can do."

Some of the players have buddies to teach them how to play and to guide them on the field. Joshua has forged a special bond with his buddy, Doug Williams.

Williams, who is McCormick's brother, volunteered to help for just one afternoon, right after the Challenger League started. Joshua's dad was on an assignment in Iraq at the time.

"Joshua went right up to Mr. Doug and put his hand on his arm," Gina Roussell said. "Mr. Doug knew right away that he would be Joshua's buddy."

Williams, who is a commercial pilot, rearranged his flight schedule so he could practice with Joshua on most weekends and will be with him at the Super Bowl.

"Now Joshua does not want to be with mama and daddy," Gina said. "He pushes us away because this is his activity."

The Challengers practice and play on Saturdays from Labor Day through October. Any child ages 5-18 who is enrolled in school can participate for free. The program runs on charitable contributions, including a grant and team jerseys donated by the Carolina Panthers.

The league is winding down a major fundraising effort to pay for each player and a caregiver to travel to the Pop Warner Super Bowl. The target is $30,000, and at Thanksgiving, they were still $12,000 short.

McCormick hopes a Spirit Night, scheduled at the Chick-Fil-A at Capital Crossing in North Raleigh from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday will help.

Before heading off to Disney World, the team was scheduled to make an appearance at a Pop Warner Mid South Regional Championship at Wakefield High School Nov. 26.

Most of all, the young players can't wait to head for the Super Bowl, and the parents may be even more excited than their kids.

"Disney is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Debbie Dodd, Aaron LaValle's legal guardian. "I'm ready to go now."

Notebook

Thanksgiving brings out runners: Runners throughout the Triangle burned off Thanksgiving calories during several road races in Raleigh and Wake Forest.

At the Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8K, 1,913 runners crossed the finish line. Grady Lawrence, 20, of Raleigh, won the race in 27:38. The first female finisher, Lauren Holesh, 23, of Chapel Hill, completed the race in 30:47.

At the inaugural Wakefield Skinny Turkey Half Marathon, Ronnie Weed, 36, of Durham crossed the finish line first in 1:25:16. Danielle Andolina, 30, of Raleigh, was the first female finisher in 1:33:12.

Wakefield's Just Think First 5K race took place alongside the Skinny Turkey Half Marathon. Devin Swann, 31, of Raleigh won the race in 15:39. Erin Swain, 29, of Arlington, Va., was the first female finisher.

More than 2,000 runners competed in the 6th Annual Gobblers 5K Run Family Event. Carter Benge, 20, of Fayetteville was first across the finish line in 17:05. The top female finisher was Kerian Celeste, 15, of Youngsville who won in 20:11.

Special Olympics athletes bring home gold: Wake County Special Olympics athletes brought home gold medals from the Special Olympics of North Carolina Fall Games Nov. 12-13 in High Point.

Bocce: Mitchell Akin

Roller Skating: Brandon Cox

Cycling: Terrence Walker, Wade Davison, Gregory Harvey, Judith Nutter, Brandon Rogers, Ryan Tyndall

Golf-Individual Skills: Brandyn Keim, Lauren McMurry

Unified Team Golf: Jimmy Coats and Prentiss Coats, Todd Esporas and Leigh Hartnett

Soccer-Individual Skills: Emily Kelly

Tennis-Singles: Darek Alexiou;

Tennis-Short Course Singles: Eric Lacrosse, Kate Lyon

Unified Team Tennis Doubles: Bobby Higdon and Clay Higdon, Marissa Anthony and Kristine Hughes

Tennis Short-Course Doubles: Christine Shea and Jeff Shea

Roller Skating: Matthew Siems

Roller Relay: Michael Kregor and Travis Smith; Richard Johnson and Matthew Siems;

Five-on-Five Team Soccer: Zach Butler, Bryan Chew, Tyler Cretens, Samuel Flores, Romas Gabbrielli, Michael Gorman, Derek Mathis, Jon Ogus, Casey Phillips and Marchello Smith